Selective signaling system.



0. s. RHOADS, JR. SELECTIVE SIGNAWNG SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.12.1910.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913 f Z CZGrfWg an UNITED STATES PATENT onmoa.

C H ABLES STANLEY EHOADS, JR, OF SANDWICH, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ,ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE GENERAL "RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, A 00320- vnarrower mama SELECTIVE SIGNALING SYSTEM.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

Application filed April 12, 1910. Serial No. 555,071.

To all whom it may concerns Be it known that I, CHARLES STANLEY RHOADS, J r.,.a citizen of the United: States, residing at Sandwich, in the county of Dekalb and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Selective Signaling Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to signaling systems and has forits object'the provision of an im roved system in which it is possible to cal selectively any one of a plurality of substations from a central station.

In the preferred form of my invention, I use im ulse mechanism of some suitable kind wliich is selectively moved by electro magneticmeans, and which impulse mechanism isfurther controlled by a second electro ma etic means, which second electro magnetic means are brought into or out of operative relation with said impulse mechanism depending upon the character of the electric current furnished by: the sending stationr- Iam aware have been devised following generally along the lines above outlined, but in which there is no selective operation of the secondelectro magnetic means, which in" the specific form herein shown, I prefer to call a' locking or holding magnet. With this arrangement it is also possible to provide twosignal receiving devices at each station, which signal receiving devices may selectively operated with a given position of the impulse mechanism. I

I will describe my. invention more 'in 'detail by reference to the'a'cc'ompanying drawing, lllustrating one embodiment thereof.)

In this illustration I show a central station A and substations B, C, and D.; Thesubstation apparatus'is alike at the various stations except that the signalingdevie'e's at each station are placed in -.operative condi-- tion with different angular positions of the" impulse mechanism. I

At the central-station 'I- have two keys, 1 and 2, both; associated-with the lineiconductor 8, which conductorq-in association with the line conductor 4,'unites all of said stations together.' The central station apparatus further includes two batteries 5 and that systems of. this character I 6. Battery 5 has its terminal of one polarity associated with the conductor 4 and battery 6 has its terminal of opposite p0- larity associated with said conductor. Of course, this specific arrangement neednot be adhered to, it is merely shown as illust-rative. By means of the arrangement shown, it will be seen that positive or negative impulses can be transmitted metallically over the line wires 3 and 4.

I will describe a substation apparatus, which substation apparatus is designed to be-operated by the central station, and at the substation I have an impulse mechanism 7 which is held in its normal non-contact position against the stop 8 by a spring 9. This impulse mechanism carries an arm 10, which, when in a given position engages a spring 11. The arms 10 are preferably in different angular positions when the impulse mechanisms 7 are in their zero positions, so that unlike numbers of impulses are req uired to establish signal operating condi-' tlons at the various substations.

The impulse mechanism 7 is designed to be'stepped up to operating position by a step-up magnet 12, which step-up magnet 12 is arranged preferably in series with a polarized magnet 13, both of said magnets being in bridge of the line conductors 3 and 4. The polarized magnet 13 has an armature 14carrying a metallic bar 15 to which is fastened a locking pawl 16 by a rivet 17. The step-up magnet 12 has an armature 18 Whichis held in its normal position by a spring 19. This armature 18 carries a pawl 20, which in the reverse movement of the armature steps up the impulse mechanism onestep. The holding pawl 16 is brought into contact with the teeth of the impulse mechanlsm 7 wheneverbattery impulses of a kind adapted to step-up the impulse mechanism are sent over the line wires, which impulses, we will assume in this instance, are delivered by the battery 5.

After the required impulses have been 'sent, that is, after the substation signals have been actuated, a reverse battery impulse from the battery 6 is sent over the line wires by the key .2, and this operates the polarized magnet 13 in the opposite direc- "tion, whereby lthe locking pawl 16 is withdrawn from the teeth of the impulse mechanism, and this at the same time through the agency of the projection 21 moves the stepping up pawl 20 from the teeth of the impulse mechanism, whereupon the spring 9 restores the impulse mechanism 7 to normal." In this condition none of the pawls' arein engagement with the impulse, mechamsm.

The first impulse from battery. 5 wheuit is'desired to call any station in addition to operating the magnet 12, operates the magnet 13 to brin the pawl 16 into engagement witlrthe teetliof the impulse mechanism,

and the spring action of the pawl 20 then also permits it to engage said teeth. In the movement of the impulse mechanism according to the action of the pawl 20, the elasticity of the spring 16 allows it to move away from the bar, as said spring is fastened thereon at its right hand extremity by the rivet 17, as shown.

After the required numberv of impulses have been sent to bring the arm 10 into engagement with the spring 11, circuit is again closed at the central station and held in a closed position so that the armature 18 maintains a contact with the contact point 22 and thereupon circuit conditions are established fromconductor): through. armature 18, the ground, the arm 10, spring 11, slow acting relay23, to the line conductor 3. If this circuit is maintaineda given length of time, relay- '23 will operate and close circuit throughthe local signal. 24. .Slow acting relay v23 has a, copper. shell 25in order to provide this timeelement. Now,-if after the same number of impulseshave been sent, the circuit at'the central station has not been again closed and no release impulses have been sent, thensubstation circuit conditions would 'be as follows: from the ground, through armature 18 back contact 26, battery 27 slow actin relay 28, epring 11, arm 10 and the grountf This will allow the magnet 23, which is slow acting on account of the weight' 29, to close circuit throu h the second substation signal 30. It will thus'be seen that with agivenangular position of the im also mechanism, signals 24.- and 30 can be se ectively operated. After the operation of the desired substation signals, a current impulse of opposite-polarity is sent over the l1ne wires"which--o crates magnet 13 in the oppositedirection, releasing pawl 16 andthe thin spring pawl 20. The downwardpressure of the thin spring pawl 20 is not sufiicient .tomove the heavy armature'14. It will thus be apparent that normally when no signals are being sent the armature 14 is in'such=a,.condition' pawls t ereby that the pawls 1'6 and 20 are disengaged from the teeth of the element 7. The first impulse is of the proper polarity to actuate the arm 14 so as to bring the pawls 16 and 20 into engagement with the teeth of the (element 7. lhe succeeding impulses are of the same clarity so that the armature 14 does not ciange its position between impulses and the pawl 16 thereupon serves as a holding and retaining means for the said element 7. After the call has been completed and the proper signal 24 or 30 actuated, an impulse of reverse polarity is transmitted over the wires 3 and 4 which actuates the armature 14 to disengage the pawls 16 and 20 from the teeth of the element 7, thereb permitting said element to return to normal against the stop 8. The pawls maintain this disengaged position until impulses of the proper polarity are a ain transmitted over the wires to send a call for any given signal at any given station.

While I have herein shown and particularly described one embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement as herein set forth, but 1 Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1; A selective signaling system having a central station and substation, means at the central station for transmitting electrical im ulses, and asignal receivin device at eacisubstation havin a stepy-step element, a step-up pawl For said element, electro-magnetic means to operate said pawl, a holdin pawlfor said element, both ofsaid being normally disengaged from said element, and polarized electro-magnetic means to control said holding pawl and said step-up pawl.

2. Astep-by-step signal receiving device having-a; step-by-step element, a step-up pawl for said element, electro-magnetic means to operate said pawl, a holding pawl for said element, both of said awls being normally disengaged from said element, and .po arized electro magnetic means to control said holding pawl and said step-up pawl.

In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day of-March A. D., 1910.

CHARLES STANLEY RHOADS, .llt-

Witnesses v Max \V. ZABEL, .HAZEL Jonas.-

Copies of this petent may to 'ohteizied' tor'iive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 01' Patents.

' Washington, D. o." 

